Tests at the Eden Gardens, Calcutta

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by Mohandas Menon

The Eden Gardens is the oldest cricket ground in India and is also
considered one of the finest in the world. The history of the Indian
Cricket is irrevocably bound up with that of Calcutta Cricket Club, which
did the pioneering work in cricket not only in Calcutta but in the whole of
the eastern region of India. The present Eden Gardens Cricket Club came in
existence some time in the year 1864. It is not certain as to whom the land
belonged to although some records show that it was the property of then
Maharaja of Cooch-Behar while some other records state that it belonged to
the Auckland Family. However, the fact remains that the land was
effectively passed into the hand of the Governor General's family who in
turn presented it to the citizens of Calcutta for recreation. In course of
time Calcutta Cricket Club established with its headquarters at the Eden
Gardens. The pavilion was built in 1871 and cricket was played for a long
period in Sylvan surroundings.

The first ever first-class match to be played here was in 1917-18, while the
first Test match was against Douglas Jardine's MCC in January 1934. Since
then the ground has hosted 30 Tests matches - the maximum at any venue in
India. In February 1987, the stadium hosted its first ODI match - against
Pakistan. In all 16 ODI matches have been held here.

As a part of modernization of the stadium during the 1987 World Cup, where
the final match was held, covered stands were built all around, with a
modern Club House and pavilion. The Club House now houses the offices of
the Cricket Association of Bengal. In November 1993, a five-nation
tournament was played in India to celebrate the CAB Diamond Jubilee, where
day-night one-day international matches were played at this ground, thanks
to the installation of four gigantic floodlights. It can now also
legitimately boast of having one of the largest accommodation (nearly 100,
000) in the world for viewing the game.

SUMMARY OF MATCHES

Test No.

Start Date

Last Date

Opponents

Result

1

5th Jan 1934

8th Jan 1934

England

Drawn

2

31st Dec 1948

4th Jan 1949

West Indies

Drawn

3

30th Dec 1951

4th Jan 1952

England

Drawn

4

12th Dec 1952

15th Dec 1952

Pakistan

Drawn

5

28th Dec 1955

2nd Jan 1956

New Zealand

Drawn

6

2nd Nov 1956

6th Nov 1956

Australia

Aus won by 94 runs

7

31st Dec 1958

4th Jan 1959

West Indies

WI won by inn & 336 runs

8

23rd Jan 1960

28th Jan 1960

Australia

Drawn

9

30th Dec 1960

4th Jan 1961

Pakistan

Drawn

10

30th Dec 1961

4th Jan 1962

England

Ind won by 187 runs

11

29th Jan 1964

3rd Feb 1964

England

Drawn

12

17th Oct 1964

22nd Oct 1964

Australia

Drawn

13

5th Mar 1965

8th Mar 1965

New Zealand

Drawn

14

31st Dec 1966

5th Jan 1967

West Indies

WI won by inn & 45 runs

15

12th Dec 1969

16th Dec 1969

Australia

Aus won by 10 wickets

16

30th Dec 1972

4th Jan 1973

England

Ind won by 28 runs

17

27th Dec 1974

1st Jan 1975

West Indies

Ind won by 85 runs

18

1st Jan 1977

6th Jan 1977

England

Eng won by 10 wickets

19

29th Dec 1978

3rd Jan 1979

West Indies

Drawn

20

26th Oct 1979

31st Oct 1979

Australia

Drawn

21

29th Jan 1980

3rd Feb 1980

Pakistan

Drawn

22

1st Jan 1982

6th Jan 1982

England

Drawn

23

10th Dec 1983

14th Dec 1983

West Indies

WI won by inn & 46 runs

24

31st Dec 1984

5th Jan 1985

England

Drawn

25

11th Feb 1987

16th Feb 1987

Pakistan

Drawn

26

26th Dec 1987

31st Dec 1987

West Indies

Drawn

27

29th Jan 1993

2nd Feb 1993

England

Ind won by 8 wickets

28

27th Nov 1996

1st Dec 1996

South Africa

SA won by 329 runs

29

18th Mar 1998

21st Mar 1998

Australia

Ind won by inn & 219 runs

30

16th Feb 1999

20th Feb 1999

Pakistan

Pak won by 46 runs

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Team

Played

Won

Lost

Draw

Australia

6

2

1

3

England

9

1

3

5

New Zealand

2

-

-

2

Pakistan

5

1

-

4

South Africa

1

1

-

-

West Indies

7

3

1

3

India

30

5

8

17

HIGHEST TEAM TOTALS

Totals

For

Against

Inn

Test

Series

633-5d

India

Australia

1st

2nd

1997-98

614-5d

West Indies

India

1st

3rd

1958-59

565-9d

India

West Indies

1st

3rd

1987-88

530-5d

West Indies

India

1st

3rd

1987-88

462-9d

New Zealand

India

1st

2nd

1964-65

LOWEST TEAM TOTALS

Totals

For

Against

Inn

Test

Series

90

India

West Indies

2nd

5th

1983-84

124

India

West Indies

1st

3rd

1958-59

132

India

New Zealand

1st

4th

1955-56

136

India

Australia

1st

3rd

1956-57

136

India

Australia

2nd

3rd

1956-57

137

India

South Africa

2nd

2nd

1996-97

154

India

West Indies

2nd

3rd

1958-59

155

India

England

2nd

2nd

1972-73

155

India

England

1st

2nd

1976-77

The lowest by a visiting team:

163

By England

2nd

2nd

1972-73

163

By England

1st

1st

1992-93

TESTS HUNDREDS (listed chronologically)

Player

Runs

For

Against

Inn

Test

Series

EdeC Weekes

162

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1948-49

EdeC Weekes

101

WI

Ind

2nd

3rd

1948-49

CL Walcott

108

WI

Ind

2nd

3rd

1948-49

Mushtaq Ali

106

Ind

WI

2nd

3rd

1948-49

DG Phadkar

115

Ind

Eng

1st

3rd

1951-52

DH Shodhan

110

Ind

Pak

1st

5th

1952-53

JR Reid

120

NZ

Ind

1st

4th

1955-56

Pankaj Roy

100

Ind

NZ

2nd

4th

1955-56

GS Ramchand

106*

Ind

NZ

2nd

4th

1955-56

RB Kanhai

256

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1958-59

BF Butcher

103

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1958-59

GStA Sobers

106*

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1958-59

NC O'Neill

113

Aus

Ind

1st

5th

1959-60

MC Cowdrey

107

Eng

Ind

1st

3rd

1963-64

ML Jaisimha

129

Ind

Eng

2nd

3rd

1963-64

B Sutcliffe

151*

NZ

Ind

1st

2nd

1964-65

BR Taylor

105

NZ

Ind

1st

2nd

1964-65

MAK Pataudi

153

Ind

NZ

1st

2nd

1964-65

RC Fredericks

100

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1974-75

GR Viswanath

139

Ind

WI

2nd

3rd

1974-75

AW Greig

103

Eng

Ind

1st

2nd

1976-77

SM Gavaskar

107

Ind

WI

1st

3rd

1978-79

AB Williams

111

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1978-79

SM Gavaskar

182*

Ind

WI

2nd

3rd

1978-79

DB Vengsarkar

157*

Ind

WI

2nd

3rd

1978-79

GN Yallop

167

Aus

Ind

1st

5th

1979-80

CH Lloyd

161*

WI

Ind

1st

5th

1983-84

M Azharuddin

110

Ind

Eng

1st

3rd

1984-85

RJ Shastri

111

Ind

Eng

1st

3rd

1984-85

M Azharuddin

141

Ind

Pak

1st

2nd

1986-87

CG Greenidge

141

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1987-88

AL Logie

101

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1987-88

CL Hooper

100*

WI

Ind

1st

3rd

1987-88

DB Vengsarkar

102*

Ind

WI

1st

3rd

1987-88

M Azharuddin

182

Ind

Eng

1st

1st

1992-93

AC Hudson

146

SA

Ind

1st

2nd

1996-97

G Kirsten

102

SA

Ind

1st

2nd

1996-97

M Azharuddin

109

Ind

SA

1st

2nd

1996-97

G Kirsten

133

SA

Ind

2nd

2nd

1996-97

DJ Cullinan

153*

SA

Ind

2nd

2nd

1996-97

M Azharuddin

163*

Ind

Aus

1st

2nd

1997-98

Saeed Anwar

188*

Pak

Ind

2nd

3rd

1998-99

Note: 42 hundreds have been scored at this venue, with Rohan Kanhai's 256
being the highest.